How do you know when your dc needs the next stage formula?

[LittleMissMummy]

My dd is 10 weeks old. She regularly cries during her feeds (not every single feed) and we have tried many different things to help stop it, Infacol, Gaviscon (which we are still using as she still brings up milk hours after a feed), different teats, we used Cow and Gate number 1 milk up until Sunday but things weren't getting any better so tried using Aptimal Easy Digest - still using it along with tha gaviscon but cant see a huge improvment as she is still crying a bit and bringing up milk dribbles even after a 2hr nap.

My mum suggested she might need the next stage milk, the one for hungrier babies. I dont know whether to switch milks again. She does take most of the bottle but brings some of it back up when she is bringing up wind.

Has anybody been in a similar situation that could offer any advice or tips?

Its much appreciated

I wouldn't personally change to a hungry baby milk with a baby that is bringing up milk. Hungry baby milk is richer which makes them feel fuller for longer.
I would stick with the milk she is on, maybe speak to your Gp about reflux?

My DS was the same, he had reflux and was just like your baby, constantly bringing up feeds. We either had full on projectile vomitting or he'd bring it up it dribs and drabs over a couple of hours.

We too tired gaviscon etc, but to be honest, nothing really worked. It was never looked into as a serious issue tbh, as he never dropped down the centiles, lord knows how he didn't, he got sick so much.

Also, are you putting the gaviscon in the bottle, or are you mixing it in a spoon and giving it to her before the bottle (assuming its still powder gaviscon!)? I thought it helped him more with the pain if we mixed it in a spoon and gave it too him before a feed.

He is six now, so this is going back a VERY long time in terms of formula milk, but we used Cow and Gate Omneo comfort, which sounds like the Aptimil you are using.

No real advice to offer re the reflux, I don't know if there is more that can be done these days, but we literally had to hold him upright after feeds, and he used to sleep in a baby chair at an angle, it was when he was laying flat that he would be the most sick.

It did get better, but it took a while to be honest, he was sick after pretty much every meal until a year.

The only problem we had with Omneo comfort was that as its a thicker milk we had the palava of experimenting with different sized teats, and it caused problems when it came to weaning as he was so full on it when he mangaged to keep it down. But then, six years ago the advice was to start solids at 16 weeks, so I don't think you would have that problem now!

I have not helped much I know, but I have been through what you are going through now and it does get better!

My HV said there was no need to ever change to a next stage milk. I use the Aptamil 1 and she said I can ue that even when I start weaning.

Hi all, thanks very much for your comments.

Yeah I didnt think it would've been a good idea trying the next stage since she is bringing milk up.

halfbakedcookie - yeah its still the powder gaviscon, we just put it in her bottle but we should maybe try mixing it in a spoon. I looked for the Cow and Gate version but couldn't see it so just ended up getting Aptimal. I just worry sometimes that maybe its no reflux, its something else and Im not picking it up - this is my first DC so Im pretty nervous and worried about everything! It does sound like reflux though.

Will see how we get on with the Aptimal and gaviscon for a while. Glad to know it does get better though!

Thanks again everyone

I may sound pretty relaxed about it now, but DS was my first baby as well, so I was tearing my hair out with worry at the time!

Do try the gaviscon mixed in a spoon, my sister told me to try it, as she was breast feeding her baby with reflux so had to do it that way, and I really do think it helped more than mixing it with the milk, especially as my DS seemed to have pain while still feeding.

I read up a LOT on reflux when DS was a baby, and from what you say about crying when feeding and then being sick, it sounds just like the symptoms he had. It gives them terrible pain poor things.

Good luck with it all!

thanks again halfbakedcookie, hopefully things will get better for her soon - I feel so bad, wish I could just take the pain away!

Hi have you tried milk for babies with reflux - this is what fixed my ds when he had reflux - he was also given gaviscon but that didn't work for us. The reflux milk is a bit heavier so stays down better.

I swicthed to Aptamil from SMA and never looked back. Stayed on level 1 until he 'qualified' for level 2 (can't rememebr how old but it said on the box). He's 18 months now and on the follow-on toddler milk. Still doing well.